This invention relates generally to refrigerators, and more particularly to refrigerator door panels having devices requiring a source of water and electrical power. More specifically, the invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for delivering water and electricity to the devices and a method of installing the connector in the refrigerator.
It has become very common to provide through-the-door ice and water dispensing devices, along with a light, on a freezer door of a refrigerator. See, for example, the patent of Harold S. Mawby et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,795, granted Nov. 1, 1994 and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. In order to operate, these devices require a supply of water and electricity. The doors are manufactured with a conduit or tube in which electrical wires and a water tube pass for this purpose. The conduit generally extends from the devices to a lower door hinge where the wires and water tube pass through a hole in the hinge and continue into the refrigerator to respective sources of electrical power and water.
At present, however, there is no convenient way to install the wires and water tube in the conduit in a fast and efficient way.